Peru Family Travel

Peru tours can be an excellent choice for children interested in history, culture, wildlife, and sightseeing. Some offer high intensity multi-sport adventures while others have a relaxed, unstructured pace. These tours generally fall into three categories- sightseeing excursions, hiking tours, and rainforest adventures.

Sightseeing excursions:
These tours (Machu Picchu by Train, Panoramic Peru, Islands and Incas) can be a great choice for kids of most ages. The excursions are educational and give families the chance to try new foods, see amazing sites, and stay in small, bed and breakfast style hotels that each has a distinctive flavor. Since the primary focus of these tours is sightseeing, they are not a good choice for young children who can be easily bored, crave high intensity activities, or have rigid schedules/ food preferences, etc.

Hiking tours:
These tours (Machu Picchu Pilgrimage, Inca Pathways, Cordillera Blanca Trek, Salcantay, Cachicatta Trek, Ausangate Trek) all include a challenging multi-day trek. They can be a great choice for older children and teenagers who enjoy hiking and camping. Prepare your family by planning weekend day hikes or overnight camping trips before you begin your Peru travel. Keep in mind that although the distances hiked each day are not especially long (6 to 9 miles typically), the altitude of these treks may make it feel almost twice as difficult as the same distance at home. Each traveler should bring a daypack with essentials such as a camera, waterproof jacket, water bottle, and snacks.

Amazon Rainforest tours:
(Wild Tambopata, Manu Biosphere, Manco Multisport, Peru Amazon Extension). These adventures are a great choice for families interested in wildlife and nature. Adventure Life offers a variety of rainforest tours, each with a distinctly different flavor. In general, our Peru rainforest tours tend to be better options for older children, as these lodges are particularly remote with long transfers and relatively rustic accommodations. Though Sacha Lodge (in Ecuador) is probably the best option for younger kids, children of all ages with an interest in wildlife and the outdoors are certainly welcome on our Peru Amazon tours as well. Our shorter Peru Amazon Extension is also a great choice for younger children as the lodge is less rustic, transfers are much shorter, and this extension can be as short as 2-3 days (a nice option for kids with limited attention spans!).

By contrast, Tambopata Research Center and Manu Wildlife Center are decidedly more remote and rustic. These lodges have no electricity (kerosene lighting), shared bathrooms, and longer travel times (Tambopata is located 8 hours downriver). Their remote locations offer the very best opportunities to view rainforest wildlife in their natural environment. These tours are an excellent choice for the families who enjoy getting away from modern distractions and want a pure "back to nature" experience.

For all Amazon options, the weather can commonly include heat, humidity, and rain during your stay. Please pack appropriately and don't forget the insect repellant!

Multisport trip with mountain biking and whitewater rafting. Adventurous Class III rapids with a few Class IV's and camping. Travelers must be adequate swimmers and comfortable swimming in moving water.

Multisport trip with mountain biking and whitewater rafting. Adventurous Class III rapids with a few Class IV's and camping. Travelers must be adequate swimmers and comfortable swimming in moving water.